


getting to like you (getting to hope you like me)

by starkly



Series: you've been thunderstruck [15]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Asgardian Tony Stark, Getting to Know Each Other, Human Thor (Marvel), M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:33:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28235484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starkly/pseuds/starkly
Summary: Asgard is more advanced than Midgard in every way. Anthony has been sure to remind them of that at every possible moment since he moved into Avengers Tower. He says it like he’s bragging, but it also hasn’t stopped him from being a complete nuisance and taking apart every electronic device he finds and then some.
Relationships: Tony Stark/Thor
Series: you've been thunderstruck [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2064666
Comments: 3
Kudos: 61





	getting to like you (getting to hope you like me)

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for NaNoWriMo 2020 and [posted here](https://aleator.tumblr.com/post/635102227096272896) on my tumblr writing blog. This fic was proofread before being uploaded here but is otherwise unchanged.
> 
> Prompts taken from the AU-gust 2020 challenge list on Twitter. Day Fifteen: Role Reversal AU.
> 
> Title taken from The King and I.

Asgard is more advanced than Midgard in every way. Anthony has been sure to remind them of that at every possible moment since he moved into Avengers Tower. He says it like he’s bragging, but it also hasn’t stopped him from being a complete nuisance and taking apart every electronic device he finds and then some. More than once Thor has walked in on him sitting at a table or on the floor with a bunch of tiny pieces of what used to be their toaster or the television spread out around him.

“It’s fascinating,” Anthony always says, hands full of cables or computer chips or, on one memorable occasion, liquid mercury. “I’m surprised more Asgardian anthropologists don’t visit Midgard.”

As the CEO of one of Midgard’s most advanced technology companies, Thor isn’t exactly thrilled about all the backhanded compliments. Yet for all his annoyances he can’t help being curious about Asgardian technology too and how exactly it’s so much more advanced than on Earth. Anthony is always cagey about the details though, hesitant to give Thor information that might influence Earth society in any way.

It’s late one night when Thor shuffles into the team common room and finds Anthony sitting there with the remains of what looks like a vacuum in front of him. Anthony himself looks like he just crawled out of bed too, but it’s rare to see him in anything other than cozy t-shirts and sweatpants when he doesn’t have to be in his armor. After cheeseburgers and (weirdly) the band Phish, Thor’s pretty sure casual clothing is Anthony’s favorite thing about Midgard.

“Can’t sleep?” Thor asks, startling Anthony into dropping a brush attachment.

“Don’t sneak up on me like that!” Anthony protests, hand over his heart.

Thor leans against the back of the couch, crossing his arms over his chest. “Don’t you have super hearing?”

“I was distracted,” Anthony says with a soft huff, putting aside the collection of brush attachments he’d had in his lap. “Is this really what you clean with? It doesn’t seem very efficient.”

Thor grins. “Wait until you see a Roomba.”

Anthony squints at him, the word unfamiliar. “A what?”

“Oh, we’re definitely getting one now. Just wait.”

Anthony still looks skeptical, but he starts putting part of the vacuum back together in silence. Thor should probably leave him alone, but he sits on the arm of the couch instead and says,

“You never answered my question.”

Anthony looks back up at him. “Hm? What?”

“Can’t sleep?” Thor repeats.

“Oh.” Anthony shrugs and goes back to fiddling with some vacuum part. “I don’t sleep much normally.”

Thor hesitates a moment, then asks, “Bad dreams?”

Anthony’s surprised gaze lands on him again, but he looks reluctant to talk. Understandable--it’s not like they’re particularly close despite being on a superhero team together. The only reason everyone is even here is to deal with HYDRA and find the Tesseract so Anthony can take it back to Asgard. If Thor wants to form any kind of bond with these people, he’s going to have to be the one to make the first move.

“I have nightmares sometimes,” Thor offers, his tone light like it’s no big deal. “My brother tried to kill me to take over the company. More than once.”

“That is...rough,” Anthony says after a long pause. Thor thinks that’s all he’s going to get out of him and starts to change the subject, but then Anthony continues.

“It was my uncle. Not by blood, but he was a father figure to me most of my life. He was regent to the throne after my parents died, until I came of age.” Anthony shrugs. “I suppose he didn’t want to give that up, so disposing of me was his best option.”

“Family, huh?” Thor says with a faint grin. Anthony doesn’t react right away and for a moment Thor’s certain he overstepped, but then Anthony smiles back, just a little.

Setting aside the vacuum pieces, Anthony moves closer so he can lean against the sofa, curling his arm on the seat cushion and resting his head in the crook of his elbow.

“I’m usually around at night, if your nightmares keep you up,” he says, looking up at Thor. “I’d like to think I’m better company than, well, whatever you were planning on doing.”

“Watch TV, probably,” Thor says. Nothing puts him to sleep faster than boring TV. The problem is staying asleep after that.

“Right. Maybe I’ll even tell you a few things about Asgardian technology.”

“Yeah?”

“As long as you promise not to steal my ideas to make money for your company.”

Thor laughs and reaches out without thinking about it, ruffling Anthony’s hair. “I promise.”

Anthony is silent and Thor freezes, drawing his hand back as soon as he realizes what he’s done. He expects Anthony to snap at him or take back his offer, but Anthony doesn’t move for a few moments longer until he finally says,

“You can call me Tony.”

The non sequitur catches Thor by surprise, and he tilts his head curiously.

“You can call me Tony,” Anthony-now-Tony says again. “Humans use nicknames for friends, yes?”

Thor nods. “They do, sometimes.”

“So you can call me Tony. If you want,” he adds, trying to look purposefully casual about it all.

Thor smiles wider as he realizes what Tony’s trying to say. It’s oddly endearing that this two thousand year old man can still be awkward.

“Sure thing, Tony. I’d be happy to.”


End file.
